Skiing is a popular winter sport but relies upon the increasingly fickle coverage of snow or ice. Certainly, we are seeing higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal precipitation resulting in smaller snow pack and shorter skiing seasons. Winter skis, of course, have a generally flat base side that is waxed or coated to make it slick and reduce friction, and on each side of the ski is a sharp metal or composite edge to aid in gripping the snow or ice. This edge allows the skis to properly turn, carve, and stop on the snow and ice, and allows a user to traverse down a hill or over flat land, based on using downhill style skis, telemark style skis, or cross country skis.
Skis have changed in shape over the past few decades, and many modern skis utilizes a side cut design, wherein the center of the ski is narrower than the tips of the ski. Furthermore, the skis are shaped so that there is a camber, having a slight upward curve in the middle of the ski. These elements impact how the ski turns and feels. Designs to mimic these features and the feeling of carving are lacking.
Because of the shorter ski seasons and unreliable snow conditions, consumers that enjoy skiing, and resorts that rely on these consumers face a conundrum in that they skiing seasons are short and unpredictable. Once the ice or snow has melted, grass, dirt, and other dry surfaces, make winter style skiing impossible.
To combat this, composite materials have been created that are nearly as slick as the snow or ice, and in certain locations, small amounts of composite materials are laid onto the ground to enable skiers to use conventional or nearly conventional skis in areas that lack in snow. For example, the United States Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid N.Y. has installed a surface of composite materials on the hills below the ski jumping features, to allow ski jumpers to practice jumping when there is no snow or ice on the ground. However, the composite materials are generally expensive and it would be impractical to install such a material over a large portion of ground to enable use of typical winter skis. In other areas, indoor skiing relies upon chilling a large room and creating snow with a snow gun. However, each of these options have significant limitations.
Other methods of skiing without snow or ice have included placing plastic on a slope and using modified skis to slide down the plastic. Similarly, people have employed wood, such as plywood and have further added slick materials such as wax, paints, and oils to the surface to reduce friction. Typically still, these materials still require the use of non-traditional skis to move down the surface.
Several entities have tried to make summer skiing type products that include wheels or high friction materials to aid in sliding down a grass or other hard surface. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,827,706, 4,134,598, 4,460,187, 4,744,576, 4,886,298, 4,805,936, 5,125,687, 5,195,781, and 5,975,546 have tried to create a roller ski or snowboard but none have found success in the marketplace.
Typical patents have utilized various strategies to provide wheels that face in the direction of movement of the ski, while providing other wheels or mechanisms to allow the ski to “carve” as if on the edges of a typical winter snow ski.
Additional information and products related to summer style skis include: http://www.nordicskater.com/alpina/#summer; http://www.oxygenfedsport.com/2011/11/in-us-fischer-rollerskis-would-compete-in-a-small-market; and Grasskiusa.com.
Despite these prior art examples, no summer style ski has yet found an appropriate design to engage users of winter skiers, as the summer style skis often fail in the feel of sliding and carving that is found on winter skis. The embodiments described herein provide for a summer style ski that simulates sliding and carving movements, utilizes weight distribution and edge engagement to controls speed, and provides a unique summer skiing experience that seeks to more closely mimic winter style skiing.